UK pledges £50M to end female genital mutilation by 2030.

The United Kingdom country has made the largest ever donor investment to help end the devastating and harmful practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) by 2030.

BIG PICTURE: A record-breaking aid donation by the UK government will be used to help nurses, midwives and doctors end the practice of female genital mutilation in Africa by 2030.

International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt(pictured above) on Friday 23 November) announced a new UK aid package to support the African-led movement to end FGMand provide better protections for vulnerable girls in some of the world’s poorest countries.

The announcement comes ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on Sunday.

“Inspirational, courageous African women are leading efforts to end the practice in their own countries”, says Penny Mordaunt.

UK aid will provide an extra £50 million – the biggest single investment worldwide to date by any international donor – to tackle this issue across the most affected countries in Africa.

The package will help reinforce the movement to end FGM and support vulnerable girls in some of the world’s least wealthy countries.

Officials said the funding was the biggest single investment by any international donor and would bolster a drive to end the practice by 2030.

Evidence shows that the work of the grassroots activists and survivors, who have built the largest-ever movement to end FGM, has had results. Thousands of communities across Africa are abandoning the practice, and many countries now have legal frameworks in place and provide women and girls with protection and care services.

That is why UK aid will support community programmes and grassroots campaigners in African countries to carry out work in the community, support women’s organizations and girls’ clubs in schools where they can discuss the issue in safe spaces.

This will help change the perception of FGM and boost the push to end the practice by 2030. Whereas previously FGM was seen as an unquestioned norm, it is increasingly viewed as a harmful practice.

International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt said, “Somewhere in the world, every seven seconds, a girl is at risk of FGM.Inspirational, courageous African women are leading efforts to end the practice in their own countries, and thanks to them, more communities are starting to abandon the practice. But progress is at a critical juncture and we must work globally to protect the millions of girls that are still at risk of being cut. We also can’t end FGM in the UK without ending it globally. I am proud UK aid is supporting the growing Africa-led movement against FGM and empowering women and girls in some of the world’s poorest countries to stand against the practice. Together we can build a safer, healthier and more prosperous world for every child.”

THE BOTTOM LINE: At least 200 million girls and women have been subjected to Female Genital Mutilation i.e the cutting of female genitals( which is generally done by incision of the vagina clitoris) – and an estimated 69 million more girls will be cut over the next 12 years unless action is taken. The UN general assembly has agreed to work to end FGM by 2030 under thesustainable development goals, reports The Guardian

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